Israeli navy attacks Gaza port

ISRAELI military boats and divers have attacked a Palestinian naval police base in Gaza City in a pre-dawn raid, destroying two patrol boats.

One of the boats was a Palestinian coast guard vessel believed linked to an arms-smuggling operation, the Israeli military said.

It said naval installations were also targeted because one of two gunmen who attacked an army border post on Wednesday and killed four Israeli soldiers belonged to the naval police.

Israeli boats fired four missiles at the naval base, hitting a small patrol boat and a fuel tank. Israeli military sources said a larger patrol boat, the Jandala, was destroyed with explosives planted by divers.

The attack came after the Palestinian Authority arrested two of three officials accused by Israel of involvement in an attempt to smuggle weapons into the territories on board a cargo ship.